good morning, america. and this morning, breaking news. are we watching a suicide mission in japan? helicopter pilots in harm's way, dumping sea water. and a frantic scramble to stop a nuclear meltdown. we take you inside the radiation zone, where cameras capture the panic. the mile-long line for groceries. the rush for drinkable water. and the expanding exodus that now reaches three airports in tokyo. the u.s. tells americans to evacuate the danger zone and sends in planes to get them out of japan. and two exclusive interviews. tiger and trump.

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we go airborne with donald trump, who is sounding more like a candidate for president. >> part of the beauty of me is that i'm very rich. if i need $600 million, i can put up $600 million myself. >> and tiger tees off about his frustrations on the golf course. and the challenge of living life as a single dad. and good morning, america, e on this st. patrick's day. the latest developments this morning. steam still rising from three of those nuclear reactors. one of those, worse, in fact. it shows the plant at a very critical point. and japanese officials saying, a slight radiation increase is too small to harm the people around tokyo. >> here's what happened when you were asleep. you saw the military helicopters. they tried to dump 30 tons of sea water on the reactors. they go over it. and a lot of the water dissipates before it hits them.

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even if all of it went in, all 30 tons, that would be a drop in the bucket. just to give you an example, it could take 2,000 gallons of water to fill in one of those pools. they tried to bring in water canons. but they couldn't get close enough. they're trying to install a new cooling system. here in the u.s., the government is adding more radiation monitors to the west coast, to detect any radiation cloud that might hit our shores. our team is covering all of the latest. >> still, the administration saying, we're not in harm's way. but there is deep concern in washington, the threat of multiple meltdowns in japan. and martha raddatz continues to track all of this. >> reporter: charter planes will soon begin to evacuate any americans who live within 50 miles of the plant. a u.s. official saying, you should, you must, for your own safety, get out of that danger zone. this morning, japanese military

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helicopters began dumping sea water on the damaged reactors at the fukushima nuclear plant. a hail mary-type attempt. and a likely suicide mission for pilots. plant operators say they are close to finishing a new power line that could restore the cooling system. but a u.s. official tells abc news, they are not working nearly fast enough. reactor four, the most threatening, may be on the verge of spewing even more radioactive material. >> it is my great hope that the information that we have is not accurate. i would hope for the sake of everyone that the situation is not in the state that we think it is. >> reporter: one official told abc news, that they are urging the japanese to get more people to help the 50 workers inside the plant. the next 24 to 48 hours are critical. >> this is very, very radioactive material. the winds can carry it great distances. if there is core on the floor, and containment penetration,

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there will be significant public health consequences. >> reporter: here is what is so worrying. the possibility of the core on the floor. this is a term used to describe damaged reactor containers. they are five feet of cement, reinforced by steel. if they give way, there will be no way to cool the nuclear cores. they will melt down, bleed out, and send toxic, nuclear clouds into the air. everything depends on those walls holding. the japanese government has no plans now to expand its 13-mile evacuation zone around the complex, unlike the americans, who now have that 50-mile zone. overnight, president obama spoke with the japanese prime minister. he expressed sympathy and offered assistance. but there is growing tension between the two nations. that 50-mile danger zone could always increase. u.s. officials saying overnight, while residents outside the zone face less risk of significant

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exposure, changing weather conditions and wind direction mean that radiation in the future might become elevated. robin? >> i know, martha, that you are in constant contact with u.s. officials. thanks so much. and sam's been tracking the radiation leaking from the plant, how it could spread. there's some areas in japan that are threatened by amounts of radiation heading into the air. there are lesser amounts of radiation in other directions. sam, separate the two for us, please. >> we thought we would break it down just like that. there's so many confusing reports about who is in danger of radiation and who isn't. remember this incident is in the northern coast of japan. as japan sits, it is way up in the northern corner. and as the plant sits, it's right beside the water, right on the pacific ocean. basically, they use the ocean to cool the reactors. and there's been a problem with the cooling. this is the latest picture, the situation as it's looked. and let's go inside to a side view of the reactor.

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this is where the steam is. this is where the radioactive pollution would come out. there's two areas that it would carry out. one is in the general atmosphere. the other, if it's a giant explosion that pushes it to jet stream level. that would have to get to 20,000 feet into the air. and no scientist that we talked to thinks it will get to that level. so, we're dealing with what's in the atmosphere. let's see who is at risk at that point. this is the zone here. martha said, it's about 20 miles, their zone. the u.s. and other places would place it 50 miles. they'll be a little safer. tokyo's about 150 miles away. anyone from tokyo to this plant, should be watching what radiation comes out of that plant, very, very carefully. what about the u.s.? what about the pacific? you'll see this model today. and it might look frightening. this is a not a plan for radiation. any time we see radiation leaking, this is what would happen if?

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there are monitors that tests for radiation. scientists feel, radiation right get here or there, in a worst-case scenario. what might be comforting for the u.s., any radiation would be 1,000-times less than what came out of japan. and no scientist at this believes, that would be a threat or a health hazard to anyone in the u.s. george? >> sam, thanks. we want to bring in our in-house expert, michio kaku. let's look at what happened overnight. the helicopters tried to dump the sea water on the reactor. is that going to make any difference? >> i don't think so. it's like a squirt gun. using a squirt gun against a raging forest fire. they don't know what to do. they're clueless. >> ironically, the u.s. is most concerned about the spent fuel reactor, number four. that's fuel taken out of the reactor. now, it's back. originally, officials thought this had been done for some time. but this is relatively fresh fuel. >> hollywood likes to focus in on the meltdown. the melted core exposed uranium.

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but old fuel, it actually is more dangerous than the meltdown. it's radiation in an unguarded, spent fuel pond. >> it could ignite. that's the concern? >> it would be like fireworks. roman candles. it will release hydrogen gas. when someone lights a cigarette or lights a light switch, you have a roman candle festival. >> it makes the rest of the situation that much worse. no one can get close enough to contain the danger in reactors one, two and three. that's where the longer-term dangers are. >> that's right. at a certain point they have to abandon ship. it will be a suicide mission. the levels are near-lethal right now. >> even the helicopter pilots, going above, as martha said? >> that's right. at chernobyl, they had lead. lead underneath the helicopters, to sandbag the reactor with cement. >> what's the worst case? if they can't get reactor number

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four, that leads to meltdown? on explosion like chernobyl? >> an explosion or a melt-through. we're talking about radiation through the larger environment. at chernobyl, it was an uncontrolled release. 25%, 30% of the core just shot into the air. >> that can't happen here because it hasn't been active, right? >> it can because you have hydrogen gas. it can rip the vessel to pieces. >> and at this point, then, that would be the absolute worst-case scenario. right now this, is at a level six, according to the international nuclear monitors, which is quite far from the level seven, chernobyl. >> that's right. let me explain. a level six nuclear accident like this. they have said, it's level six. we're talking about a core melt. but the radiation is minimal. most of it is contained. level seven is chernobyl. uncontrolled release of fission products. massive breach of containment. and we're not at seven yet. but we have more cores, more

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radiation, than in chernobyl, sitting there. >> bottom line, is this, in the end, always going to be a crisis where it's limited -- where the impact is limited to japan? or could it go beyond? >> it will be limited to japan. even at chernobyl. you and i have a piece of chernobyl in our bodies right now. it is minimal. it is microscopic. most of the damage will be contained, perhaps, within 50 miles of the reactor site. >> okay. michio kaku, again. on the front line of the crisis, almost 200 emergency workers racing to prevent catastrophe. we're learning more about who these brave people are. juju, i know you've been following this closely. >> i have, robin. if you think about it, if they were americans, we would know so much about them. it's been six days. and these workers are japanese. their company has kept them, on purpose, nameless and faceless

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symbols of duty of honor. the anonymous workers, many volunteers. now, loved ones are pulling back the shroud of secrecy on their heroism. people at the plant are struggling. sacrificing themselves to protect you. please, dad, come back alive. my husband is working, knowing he could be radiated, she says. in one, precious e-mail, he told her, please, can't to live well. i cannot be home for a while. on national television, an e-mail is shared. my father is working at the plant. they're running out of food. we think conditions are really tough. he says he accepted his fate much like a death sentence. the 180 workers are rotated in and out of the danger zone. they take turns eating and sleeping in a decontaminated area, about the size of a living room. michael friedman worked in crisis management. tell me what their day-to-day lives must be like. how are they eating or sleeping?

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>> they're probably eating military-style ready to eat packages. it's cold. it's dark. and you're doing that to make sure you're not contaminating yourself while you're eating. >> reporter: the mission is called feed and bleed. feed sea water on the reactor, to keep it cool. while steam bleeds away the heat. they're well aware their lives are on the line. it was similar when a nuclear sub in 1961, when crew members, as a last resort, sacrificed themselves to save a failing reactor onboard. >> the difficult task has fallen to you. >> reporter: eight died in the heroic rescue, captured in the movie, "k-19: the widowmaker." the same determination carried out with these japanese heroes. >> they're doing whatever is humanly necessary to make sure the plants are in a safe condition. >> reporter: even at the risk of

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their own lives? >> yes. >> reporter: these men are like foot soldiers waiting for the cavalry to arrive. we talked about the helicopter pilots who are risking their lives, flying into high radiation. they're the backup. but it's tantalizingly close. and one nuclear physicist tells me, it's like the white knight they're waiting for. >> the sense of duty and honor. juju, thank you. meanwhile, there's a lot of concern for anyone near that zone. as we said, americans has said, anyone americans within 50 miles of fukushima should evacuate. the japanese government has drawn the line closer at 12 miles. and clarissa ward has more on the japanese trapped in that zone. >> reporter: good morning, george. the japanese government has ordered everyone within 12 miles of those nuclear reactors to move out of the area. but so many people there simply have nowhere to go. they're living in shelters, which are rapidly running out of food, medical supplies and water.

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a health emergency emerging. thousands flee their homes inside the radiation zone and head to shelter. temperatures drop below zero. and with medical supplies running out, doctors are racing against the clock. >> translator: we can't last another three days. they are distributing drugs. but you know, so far, i haven't gotten any yet. >> reporter: this is a hospital located right inside the zone. although everyone has been ordered to evacuate, many of the doctors here refuse. >> translator: we're not really supposed to stay here. but this is our job. >> reporter: patients may only enter after they've been scanned for radiation. at this nursing home, 130 helpless residents. the nurses who remain, their only chance for survival. my family has evacuated. i want to join them. but i'm hanging on and continuing my work here. residents are scared and confused. >> the government said it's safe. but i don't think so. >> you don't trust them?

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>> i don't trust them. >> reporter: many questioning the government for the first time, including the mayor of minamisoma. >> translator: they're leaving us to die. >> reporter: mile lines at supermarkets. over 1.5 million people have run out of clean water. so, they must stand in line at a pump like this. 90% of gas stations are closed. >> translator: they're drawing out gasoline from the employees' cars to work the pumps. >> reporter: and millions are no closer to finding their loved ones. this volunteer firefighter left his family to shore up the tsunami wall. when he returned -- >> translator: my wife, my son's family and four grandchildren, i lost them all. >> reporter: chaos is the only way to describe the mass exodus. evacuees are fleeing the capital city. >> translator: especially because i have small children, i want to stay far away from tokyo

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for a while. >> reporter: as well as the country. this little boy is headed back to america, leaving his father behind. the u.s. is now going to start running charter flights out of tokyo for american civilians, also families of diplomats who want to leave the country. and the u.s. military is also expected to start doing the same thing. robin? >> clarissa, thank you. we want to turn now to our dr. richard besser. he's back to talk about the evacuation in the radiation zone. and how the radiation might affect the food supply. when sam was talking about how radiation flies through air, also can get particles in the air. >> we have to be thinking about them. this red dye. we use it to represent radiation. this is a body of water. this is the exclusion zone. putting two drops of radiation into that water. you stir it up. you can see that the concentration, the level is fairly high. people in that zone, they need

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to be provided safe food and water. that's something to think about that. if you move that into a larger body of water, the same two drops of radiation. you start to see it's being diluted out. >> you can see that. >> you can see it. but it's much less concentrated. and using this tank, let's use it as an example of the ocean. the same amount in there. the same amount of radiation. and you stir that up. you can see it swirling around. but then, it goes to the point that you can't even see it. >> you can clearly see the difference. >> that's right. what they say in environmental health is the solution to pollution is delusion. when you put it in something the size of the ocean, the levels become so low, they're not a risk to your health. >> what about seafood? about the animals in the ocean? >> that's a big concern. diluting it out should cause no problem. the food and drug administration, they're increasing monitoring. they're planning to monitor seafood coming from japan. >> happy to hear that. george was talking to michio about this. and there's been a lot of talk about comparing this, what we're

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seeing, to the worst nuclear plant disaster at chernobyl. >> i think it sets a standard because it's the worst nuclear disaster ever. with chernobyl, the people at risk were the workers that went in. there were 38 death there's. quite a few people got radiation sickness. when you look at the zone beyond that, you saw increase in cancer. most was thyroid cancer. you go to 1,000 miles. it was a slight increase in cancer. it was 0.1%. but that was very slight. beyond that, there was none. and if you look on a map, to see where that takes you, from japan and this reactor, it takes you over 2,000 miles from the united states territories. quite far away. >> it's still far away when you look at it and overlap it like that. >> that's right. now, over to george. >> we're going to turn to the mounting economic impact. bianna golodryga with that. it's piling up right now. the japanese economy at a standstill. markets overnight, down again in

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japan. down in europe. now, the u.s. markets are at their lowest level for a year. we have to be reaching a point where people start to worry about whether this is going to harm the recovery here in the united states. >> reporter: that's what economists are worried about right now. this will be a huge blow for japan's economy. but there's growing fears for our recovery, as well. the it spiked past 30. that's where investors are going in and betting on the market selling off. they're trying to protect themselves. they're buying themselves insurance in the market. we've seen it cross 30 for the first time since july. to put that in perspective, back in 2008, it crossed 80. we're not there yet. if you're looking at the u.s. dollar, compared to the japanese yen, it hit a 16-year low. that makes products they are producing in japan, more expensive to export. >> businesses stop investing. and consumers stop spending. >> reporter: at exactly this time last year, the economy was recovering.

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and the greek crisis hit. >> bianna golodryga, thanks very much. let's go to sam with the weather. >> hey, george. and the snow that was going on in japan, we have a little less today. sendai, friday into kind of saturday, we'll see a warmer temperature by the end of the weekend. the winds are still problematic at 10 to 25 miles per hour. they're trying to dump water in the air in those areas. we have a big warmup coming across the u.s. look at dallas, from 80 degrees, to atlanta, 74. raleigh, new york city, 61. in some cases, 10, 20 degrees above normal. it's st. patrick's day, by the way. we haven't had a chance to say happy st. patrick's day. happy st. patrick's day.

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now maryland most powerful doppler radar and forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. happy st. patrick's day. it should be one weather wise. 41 this morning in easton.

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40 in baltimore. 31 up towards york, pa. mostly clear skies. sunshine with clouds to the north. the clouds will filter back in. a partly cloudy day. but we get much more sun than we have had. that should boost us up to 65 with the benefit of wind. 10 degrees above normal tonight. and tomorrow improving with a high reaching 76. here's kim with traffic. >> reporter: thanks. this morning we have been fairly quiet in terms to of incidents. but wove a couple out there. looking live at 895 at the harbor tunnel, the southbound lanes are moving okay. we had a disached vehicle in the northbound tube northbound side of the tube that had just been cleared. but as you see, we don't see traffic coming through there. so you can expect delays from charles street towards the toll plaza. a report op east belvedere on loch raven reporting to involve a struck pedestrian. here's charley with the morning

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news update. >> happy st. patrick's day. hopefully you will celebrate with a pint or maybe corned beef. but if you are starting in fells point and ending up in federal hill, probably best to leave the keys and car at home. tipsy taxi is offered in baltimore city. aaa is working with yellow cap to -- cab to offer free rides for those who drink in a baltimore city bar or a restaurant. starts at 4 this afternoon until 4 tomorrow morning. you can get a free ride up to the cost of a $50 cab ride. number is on the screen. 877-963-8294. time to head back to new york for more of "good morning america" we are back in 25 minutes.

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everybody that even gives any hint of being a birther, a word you didn't use. even a little bit of a hint, like, maybe, just maybe, this much of a chance, they labeled them an idiot. let me tell you, i'm a really smart guy. >> that is the donald. donald trump. already taking a swipe at president obama's citizenship. and just ahead, ashleigh banfield's frank conversation with the mogul who would be president. maybe. >> he lays into the birther controversy. takes on every potential candidate for president. >> he is the donald. also, you talked to tiger.

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what a tough time he's been going through recently. can't get it together on the golf course. but he told you he's pretty determined to get back. and he's going to be number one again. >> he's very determined to do that. my first time being around him in quite some time. and i was surprised by, the arrogance was no longer there. he's been humbled by this past year. we'll talk about that. he was very frank. and all this talk, now, about the nuclear crisis in japan, there are extreme survivorists right here in america. and what we can learn from them. we start with our latest check in to potential challengers to president obama in 2012. the trump has reached to new heights. this time, he swears it's different. telling me in november, he's serious this time. scheduling appearances in key campaign states. and when ashleigh banfield wrangled a ride on trump force one, she got more than she bargained for. and he unloaded on everything,

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president obama to charlie sheen. >> reporter: it wasn't hard to wrangle the ride, by the way. what a sweet ride it was. with the donald, from new york to florida. private 747, folks. sweet ride if you can find it. we had a frank talk about everything. how he would handle colonel gadhafi, to how much of his own money he would spend on his campaign. and what he thought about charlie sheen. in ten years of covering donald trump and two elections in which he was considering a run for the white house, this time, he says, it's different. >> over the years, a lot of people have asked me, whether or not i was going to run. they wanted me to run. but i have never been so serious as i am now. >> reporter: and to see how serious he is, we accompanied him on his private 727. and after a behind-the-scenes tour of this luxurious plane, one thing is clear. he certainly has the war chest to run. you put up $600 million for this? >> absolutely. assuming i'm doing well. >> reporter: do you have $600

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million to spare? >> more than that. part of the beauty of me is that i'm very rich. if i need $600 million, i can put up $600 million myself. that's a huge advantage. >> reporter: and on the issues, he's already taking a stand. like on libya's colonel gadhafi. >> that's a holocaust. if we could strike and stop that from happening, i would strike. but not if we start a war. >> reporter: a strike on conditional gadhafi? >> on gadhafi. >> reporter: on piracy off the african coast. >> the pirates are nothing. they're nothing, ashleigh. and they're taking over huge, $500 million tankers. give me an admiral and a couple of ships. i would wipe them out of the sea so fast. >> reporter: he says this country's biggest problem is other countries, like china, saudi arabia, and north korea. and how they affect our economy. >> it's very interesting. while we spend billions of dollars a week on being the policeman for the world, china's

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spending billions of dollars a day on taking over the world economically. that's not a good formula for us. >> reporter: and to that controversial question, does he believe the president was born in the usa? >> everybody that even gives any hint of being a birther, a word you didn't use. even a little bit of a hint like, you know, maybe. just maybe, this much of a chance. they label them as an idiot. let me tell you, i'm a really smart guy. i was a really good student at the best school in the country. the reason i have a little doubt, just a little, is because he grew up and nobody knew him. when you interview people -- if i got the nomination, if i decide to run, you may go back and interview people from my kindergarten. they'll remember me. nobody comes forward. nobody knows who he is until later in his life. it's very strange. the whole thing is very strange. >> reporter: reran through the list of possible republican contenders. and in true trump fashion, he didn't mince words.

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mitt romney? >> he doesn't seem to resonate. >> reporter: tim pawlenty. >> i don't think he will captivate the voters. >> reporter: jon huntsman. >> when you work for somebody else, as he has worked for barack obama, you don't leave and run against that person. it's very disloyal. >> reporter: mike huckabee? >> i really like him. he's the kind of a guy that maybe could really get some votes. >> reporter: sarah palin? >> she did fine as the governor. i think, personally, she made a tragic mistake when she left early. i think she's more qualified than barack obama was when he became president. >> reporter: newt gingrich? >> you know why i like gingrich? he just joined my club in new york. i'm very happy. they're all good men. but you need somebody who is going to beat barack obama. you need somebody that is going to knock out obamacare. >> reporter: what about other leaders in the republican party, like speaker john bboehner? >> i don't like the crying. >> i spent my whole life, chasing the american dream. >> i do not like it.

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i don't understand it. i really like him as a person. i think the crying is an emotional thing that, frankly, probably makes him a very nice man. but, you know, i don't like it to see it in a leader. on "celebrity apprentice," we have meatloaf. meatloaf cries all the time. every time i scream at him, he starts to cry. what's wrong? he breaks down and starts crying. sobbing uncontrollably. i don't understand it. >> reporter: trump also weighed in on the latest hollywood showdown, involving charlie sheen. >> i know charlie sheen. he married brooke, who is a member of marlago. i got to know the parents. brooke is from palm beach. and i told the parents, don't let your daughter marry him. i think he's wonderful. but he's a disaster. don't let your daughter marry

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him. >> reporter: after we landed in palm beach, he invited us for a look at his club, where everything looks to be lined with gold. how does she feel about you running? >> she loves this country. and she feels it's run very poorly. and it's not going to do much better if it does better at all. and she might put that ahead of her personal feeling. would she like to remain private? i think so. but i think she puts the country first. >> reporter: would you redecorate the oval office? >> it would not be a priority, believe me. my priority would be to redecorate the united states. to get it going. we need roads. we need infrastructure. we need the things that other countries are doing with our money. >> reporter: our conversation happened just hours before the tsunami hit japan. while many think a rich nation like japan doesn't need technical or financial support? he says they need us more than ever right now. he says, if he doesn't clinch the republican nomination, are

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you ready? he'll consider running as an independent. >> there we go. he's jumping ahead to the general election. we put a couple of your clips up on facebook last night. got a huge reaction. and it's clear, donald trump is an irresistible personality. successful businessman. and we were talking about this before. i have a hard time seeing him really getting into this race for president. but you kind of buy it. >> i'm drinking the kool-aid. i've known him for a long time. and the last rounds, he wasn't as serious. but i think he's serious. i think he wants to go for the gusto. >> saw him reaching out for the tea party support. >> he says they're the party of common sense. he loves the tea party. >> you can see more of ashleigh's interview on our website, abcnews.com/gma. now, to juju and the news. >> good morning, everyone. here the latest from the quake zone. today, japanese military pilots braved high radiation levels to dump sea water on the crippled

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reactors in fukushima. but their efforts did little to cool the overheated fuel rods. the united states offered to evacuate families of workers in northern japan. in the middle east, the crackdown of anti-government protesters in bahrain has taken an ominous turn today, with the arrest of opposition leaders. there's reports that doctors have been taken from the hospital and beaten. nearby iran has just recalled its ambassador from bahrain, to protest the government's crackdown. the unrest overseas is contributing to higher food prices here in the u.s. prices rose nearly 4% last month. that's the highest monthly increase since the 1970s. and prices at the supermarket could stay high well into next year. finally, it's st. patrick's day today. and the first family is marking

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the day by dyeing the water at the white house green. this is the picture you're seeing. it's on the south lawn. and a worker started pouring in the green dye earlier this morning. but i heard he's not done. >> you know top of the morning to you. you know the proper response? the rest of the day to yourself. charlie gibson told me. the rest of the day to yourself. >> looks nice in washington. looking at your tie. and looking at sam's tie, too. very similar, you guys. >> are we -- emeralds of the green. >> it's true, the green. >> very nice. >> sam? >> thank you, robin. some folks were tweeting saying they didn't notice i was wearing the green. just like george. let's start with pictures out of hawaii. on march 11th, we were waiting for pictures of what the tsunamis might do to hawaii. there was some damage. this is the in kailua-kona area. they brought us pictures to say

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on that day there was damage. the beach-front shop on the kailua-kona area. let's show you what it looks like on the hawaii five-day plan. just since we're there. you can guess. 80, 85 degrees and plenty of sunshine. we get into the middle of the country. light showers for chicagoland and minneapolis today. here's the big deal. temperatures warm up. there's some flooding going on, from the dakotas to minnesota, wisconsin involved in this. iowa, as well. illinois, the ohio river, the mississippi river. this is likely to get a little bit worse. as things warm up, here's what's ahead on our morning menu. what are the extreme steps that come americans are taking to keep themselves safe from

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radiation? we'll talk about that. there's a brand-new season. and they say new season, new game. but in tiger's life, is it new season, new tiger? robin roberts sits down with tiger woods. what's the best way to lose weight? are we losing weight right now? dr. oz has the surprising news. saving money... -well... -you know. i kept meaning to. it was just hard to get started. so now, i do it automatically. with bank of america's automatic savings transfer.

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japan's nuclear crisis is sparking fears of radiation back here at home.uclear crisis is the risk is small. but some americans are taking their preparations to the extreme. neal karlinsky has more on extreme survivalists. >> reporter: across the country, stations like this one, south of seattle, sniff the air for radiation 24/7. and up and down the west coast, news out of japan has sent some people on what you might call an apocalyptic shopping spree. >> caused my wife to take precautions, yeah. she is stocking up on chick

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peas, bottles of water, flare guns. you know? the whole bit. >> reporter: we found iodine tablets sold out in some stores. and geiger counters and emergency kits are in heavy demand, everywhere from amazon.com to local pharmacies. the evidence is clear. what's going on in japan is not a threat here. but taking pills you don't need could be. >> i would not recommend that people buy potassium iodide. it can cause interestinal. >> reporter: but not everyone trusts what their government is telling them. for survivalists, preparing for the end is a full-time job. >> we have rubbermaid tubs. about 50 pair of extra shoe strings. this is our little supply. not the large one. a can opener. i got about ten. batteries.

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some medical supplies. this is the water that we store. and then, of course, you have to have seasonings. this is 100-times what 95% of americans have. >> reporter: self-proclaimed armchair survivalists, curt wilson, has everything you might need to survival a total collapse of civilization. >> you have have an option. you can be a survivor or a victim. it's that simple. >> reporter: if the idea sounds crazy, that's okay with them because that's what they think about everyone else. you snicker about other folks, don't you? >> yeah, i do. i think everybody should have some type of a plan of action. have emergency kits. i have relatives that live down south that haven't got a clue. they would sit on a curb and wait for somebody to rescue them. ain't going to happen. >> reporter: in fact, japan is adding fuel to an already sensitive time in the survivalist movement, since many see the year 2012 as the end of the world. at least according to the

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and coming up, dr. oz is here, talking about how going to sleep at a certain time could help you lose weight. and overseas before he ties the knot. where is prince william going?

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you know vitamin d is good for you. but how much should you really be getting every day? go to abcnews.com now. and here's sam champion with an incredibly fast way for you to get that healthy answer. >> we know you're crazed in the morning. no time to spare. just call star star, "gma." it's a phone call, not a text. and we'll instantly send the answer to your cell phone.

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now maryland's most powerful doppler radar and forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. good morning. 45 dundalk. and we are down to the 30s on west sidle qat city 37. ijamsville 39. good morning to everybody at friends meeting school. i will talk about weather with you later on this morning a few clouds in the sky to the north. there may be a few clouds mixing in. but overall, identities about more sunshine and highs reaching 65 the two degreen--

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two dough free guaranteed -- degree guaranteed high. higher tomorrow but fusty winds will get us up to 76 perhaps a brief shower. showers may linger as we get back into the weekend. there's a change on saturday. we will bring it back to 56. more sun staying at 56 on sunday. next storm looks like it brings in rain early next week. that rain on wednesday may end with snow as temperatures drop behind it. kim. >> reporter: we are going to find minor delays this morning around the beltway. all because of volume we don't have any problems to report around 695 right now. as we look at the west signed liberty road, outer loop slows making from this point heading towards the i-70 interchange and baltimore national pike. traffic flows freely from there heading towards 95. a little bit of minor congestion southbound 95 from the white marsh boulevard area toward the split. we have an accident in marriottsville you will see police on the scene and two

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crashes in baltimore city. one on the south side at fleet street and south exitor street and police are trying to clean up an accident earlier that involved a struck pedestrian at east belvedere and loch raven. stay with us. another news, weather and traffic update at 8:26. now back up to new york for "good morning, america."

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♪ it's the eye of the tiger it's the thrill of the fight ♪ ♪ rising up to the challenge of our rival ♪ you can tell that our beautiful outside, they are ready for st. patrick's day and the big parade. >> we are already closing the streets this morning. >> it's going to be great. it will be 60 degrees. perfect. why are we playing the song? after a year with no wins, tiger woods has his eye on the prize. he opens up about getting his

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life back on tour. and i take tiger on at the masters. well, sort of the masters. >> i can't wait to see the whole interview. it was so interesting talking to you this morning about how you really think tiger has changed in all this. >> i can definitely see the difference in him now. how he carries himself. and how he was present. i've known him for many years now.how he was present. it was striking. >> that will be fun to see. dr. oz is here, as well. he's going to tell us about how the time you go to bed could make a difference if you're trying to lose weight. when to eat, when to exercise, if you want to maximize the weight loss. >> are we in trouble with our sleep schedule? >> forget about it. and how about a supermarket ambush? we're stopping shoppers, checking their charts. seeing who is naughty and nice when it comes to following who they should be eating. that's in our last half hour. we're going to return to the latest on the nuclear crisis, of course, in japan.

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and our martha raddatz, she has been on top of this story from the get-go. good morning, martha. >> reporter: good morning, robin. japanese helicopters have been dumping sea water on the nuclear plant. really a last-ditch effort. this was called off yesterday because of radiation levels. but the u.s. urged the japanese to try it again. not sure if it's working. but it is a mission that's considered a suicide mission. but the u.s. can see from satellites that spent nuclear fuel rods are red-hot and urgently in need of cooling. meanwhile, the u.s. is now telling americans that live within a 50-mile radius of the plant, to evacuate. this remains an extremely critical situation. george? >> martha, thanks. want to check in with david muir. he's at jfk airport here in new york. just got off a flight from japan. david, that flight was packed with americans trying to get out. >> reporter: it sure was, george. we talked to a lot of them, including one couple from north carolina. the husband leaving his job early. they decided it wasn't safe

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enough. they wanted to be back home with their family in north carolina. and the americans on this flight, it was a commercial flight, all made their decision to get out before they heard from the state department. but we learned right there at the airport just outside of tokyo, this is a difficult decision for many families, who stays and who goes. just as we begin to talking a to todd of atlanta. your son's saying bye, daddy. >> bye, buddy. >> daddy? >> yes. >> are you going to be sad? >> reporter: it turns out, his boys had something far more important to say. good-bye. they were waving to their dad, leaving japan for a break from school with their father. he is staying behind for work with coca-cola. is it tough to say good-bye to them without knowing what's going on? >> it's tough to say good-bye because they're going through so much. it's the unknowns. nobody knows. good-bye, buddy. >> reporter: inside the gate, we

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meet up with his wife, wendy, who says family back home in atlanta, particularly grandma, have been worried sick. >> she's been really worried. we're going to prove that we are fine. and on our way out. good news for her. >> reporter: with that, they were off. the three, little boys in tow. and their carry-on luggage. knowing that dad will try to meet up with them next week. all of them hoping to return to a safer japan. cutest little guys, carrying their luggage there. i want to point out that martha mentioned that 50-mile evacuation zone that the u.s. is enforcing. todd does not live there. he's staying behind. he'll have to watch the winds. and the state department mentioned that, to be aware of the winds and the radiation that can be carried with it. todd decided to move to atlanta for three years or so. they're hoping after this break, they will return to a safer japan. a better picture than what they've seen the last couple of days. george?

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>> david, thanks very much. now, to juju who has today's headlines. >> good morning, everyone. we could learn today if the u.s. and its allies will become more involved in the crisis in libya. rebels, desperate to stop moammar gadhafi from advancing in another major city, has been appealing for a no-fly zone over the country. the u.s. is hinting a no-fly zone may not be enough, even though the obama administration does not want to get u.s. troops involved. meanwhile, "the new york times" says four of its journalists in libya are missing this morning. they have not been heard from since tuesday. boxing legend, muhammad ali, is volunteering to travel to iran, in hopes of freeing two american hikers. ali has sent a letter to iran's supreme leader, asking him to free josh fattal and shane bauer. in washington, the house is expected to vote today on whether to stop funding national public radio. it comes one week after two npr

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executives resigned, after one was caught on tape, criticizing republicans. and admitting npr doesn't need federal money to survive. big news in the cola wars. numbers out this morning show for the first time diet coke has surpassed regular pepsi as the number two carbonated soft drink in the united states. coke is largely number one. this is what $4 million in cash looks like. police in tennessee found it duct taped to bottled water in a tractor-trailer. they believe the driver was working for drug traffickers. now, diane sawyer just back from japan, here with a preview for tonight's "world news." >> good morning, juju. and the disaster in the pacific tonight. japan, of course, still racing to prevent, to minimize, the nuclear disaster. we will have all the breaking detail on "world news." we'll see all of you tonight. and we want to take a moment

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to clarify something we said in a segment yesterday about low levels of radiation, produced by some household items. one of them was a vintage red fiestawear plate. and we want to make clear that plate has been made by fiestawear for 40 years. if you have one, the others are not dangerous. that's what we're learning through this tragedy. by the way, david muir's story at the top of the show, was so touching. they were talking about how japan was focused on the wind direction. here it is, over the next 48 hours. look at the blue arrows. when we put it in motion over the next 48 hours, you'll see the direction of the wind. focus right here, blowing all the way off the island. if you're looking at fukushima, winds blowing off the island. off the island for the entire time. not blowing back. and not blowing south, which is good news for tokyo and good news for the rest of the island, as far as the wind direction goes. now, we'll just continue to watch the containment of the

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radiation that's going on there. dallas at 80 degree s today. new orleans at 64. new york at 61. that's going to be some kind of st. patrick's day parade in new york. when you get all of the people out on the streets. washington, d.c., new york city, looking at raleigh and atlanta. going about 80 degrees there. new york city takes a dive on saturday. so, enjoy it while you've got it. friday, 70 degrees. easy, people. easy. it's the weather. it's not sam. and raleigh at about 83 degrees. as we look into the northwest, there's scattered showers from northern california all the way up towards seattle. today, there's a heavier system that comes in overnight, that will bring heavier rain and

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speaking of streets, we'll be out in times square in the next half hour. robin? times square in the next >> thank you, sam o'champion. appreciate it. it's been a rollercoaster here for tiger woods. but he's looking forward to a new year for his game. and he's also living with his two children. and fans have been wondering where the tiger magic has gone. we sat down for a one-on-one. and as you'll see, the spark is still there. not only to be the world's number one golfer. but number one in the hearts of his children. ♪

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i know how competitive you are. and we were going back and looking in the files. you had to go back to the age of 11, was the last time that you didn't go a year -- that you went a year without winning a tournament. so, how are you handling it? >> it's been frustrating, no doubt. i enjoy winning golf tournaments. and i haven't done that in a while. i know what i'm capable of doing. and i know the shots i'm hitting at home and on the range, i know it's in me. i just need to bring it out into a golf tournament. and things are starting to creep in towards augusta. i'm pretty excited about that. >> reporter: that's augusta national, home of the fabled masters golf tournament, where tiger is a four-time champion. tiger is almost as excited as these youngsters, from the tiger woods foundation, who are some of the first kids to play the new game from e.a. sports, tiger

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woods pga '12, the masters. >> you have the experience. >> reporter: they were giving me pointers in how to play the game. okay. oh. oh. that was good. but what they didn't realize was that there was a surprise in store for them. he's right there, behind you. >> i have a question. how do you deal with it? >> the nervousness? >> yeah. >> it's fun. if you're not nervous, it means you don't care. i mean, we go into a test, we're all a little nervous because we care about the results. sport's the same thing. >> reporter: i was hoping that was the case when it was my turn to take on tiger in his game, on his course. >> bite, bite, bite. oh. >> reporter: look out. >> come on. did you guys --

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>> reporter: tiger, i was you. >> whatever. >> reporter: would i do that? >> yes, you would. >> reporter: look at it opening. oh. and after i was done beating tiger on the course, so to speak, he opened up about his life off of it. i was first taken by the "newsweek" firstperson account. you said giving your son a bath, it brings you joy. it's like a victory for you. and is it that what is important has changed? or you have found the balance that you've been striving to find? >> i think i'm more present. i'm present with my kids. and that's important because to be with them, each and every time i'm with them, to feel that and to be connected to them. and to see the joy on their faces, whether it's sam dancing or creating things and coloring and rearranging furniture and

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stuff. and i have my brute over here, that wants to play sports. anything with a stick and a ball, he's happy. the different dynamics there and being present for that is something, you know, i need to be. i need to be first in my life. >> reporter: and how is it for you to be a single dad? and balancing the career you have, with doing that? >> it's work. there's no doubt. it's tough but enjoyable. that's the work that i love. i just love being with them. and seeing what they're doing, what they're capable of doing. the joys. and the shifts of interest, you know? that's what is fun. we have a great time together. that's what's the most important. family's first. that's the way it was when i was growing up. my family, my mom and dad, were always there. they were always present for me. that's the way i am for my kids now. >> reporter: in his quest for balance, woods wants to reclaim his spot as the number one golfer in the world. he has won an astounding 14 major championships. just four behind the legend, jack nicklaus, for the all-time

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lead. a short while ago, it seemed a foregone conclusion woods would pass nicklaus. now, with a year with no wins, people aren't so sure. what would you say about your ability to come back and challenge jack nicklaus' record? >> i've been down this road before. people don't understand. i know what i'm working on. i believe what i'm working on. and when it starts to roll, we'll have some fun. >> the eyebrows, like that flash of tiger. he is the first to admit that he is a work in progress, both on and off the course. like many of us are in life. coming up next, dr. oz, here with time tricks for losing weight. i have got to hear this. ♪ [ female announcer ] smooth. like you've never felt before. ♪ touch of smoothness body wash with new hydra iq, nivea's latest breakthrough in skincare technology.

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if you are having trouble losing weight, it may not be an issue of willpower or motivation. it could be timing. our friend, dr. mehmet oz, is here to explain how to organize your day to maximize weight loss. this is simple but really important information. you're going to take us through the whole day.rmation. tell us when to wake up. when to eat. when to exercise. the whole thing. let's begin with wake-up time. >> let's say you wake up before 6:30. let's start that as our day. it's not that you have to do other things, as well. there are routines you have to adopt. it turns out, the best thing to do when you first get up, is to weigh themselves. people that weigh themselves are tracking to what they're doing in life. they tend to lose weight more often. there's another advantage of doing it in the morning, you don't get depressed. >> it's your lightest time.

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>> it is. and first of all, you go number one and number two first. then, you sweated during the evening. acrid air in your lungs. haven't eaten for a while. you psych yourself up. on average, you lose about two pounds. it's a smart thing to do. weigh yourself to get the day going the right way. >> you got motivation from the scale. and you say the best time to exercise -- >> 6:35. five minutes later, fire it up. when you exercise, two things happen. if you do it in the morning, you're more likely to do it. leaving exercise for the last thing you do in the day, is the last thing you end up doing, often times. you won't do it. >> push things off. >> and the other thing about exercising early is you burn off fat. once you've eaten a meal, you'll burn off those calories. if you exercise before you have breakfast, a lot of people burn off the fat in your thighs and bellies. >> trainers say, i want you to have energy before you work out. >> your liver will provide you

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with half an hour or 45 minutes of energy anyway. i see people drinking energy drinks, which are basically sugar. you don't need that. burn off the fat by exercising before you put other foods in your mouth. >> you've gotten off to a good start. you've weighed yourself. you've exercised. now, you can have breakfast. >> you need to make this important. 7:30 is when you have breakfast. you've woken up. you've had your exercise in. and within an hour, you'll have your breakfast. this is important to understand. you put human beings in a dark room, don't tell them what time it is. they will naturally desire to eat at three specific times of the day. the first time is around 7:30 in the day. the rhythm -- >> that's interesting. >> the three, major events. and there's small snacks between. the first meal ought to be an hour after you get up. the reason that's important. if you don't pay attention to your natural circadian meal eating, you will do foolish

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things. you want to have a real meal with protein in it. >> and some people say, i'm not that hungry in the morning. you say, eat if you're not hungry. >> it is, without question, the most important thing i can advise you to do. now, there's a lunchtime. around noon. if you fired at clock at noon, you would be sitting down and having lunch. but i mentioned snacks. at 15 minutes before, 11:45, or 15 minutes before dinner, have a little fiber. an apple. a pear. some nuts. any will work. about 15 minutes before you have a meal, they're effective in filling your stomach up. but also, they'll satiate you and keep you full for longer. if you eat fiber before a meal, you'll eat about 70 calories less at that meal. that's 140 calories a day. >> and those are probably better calories. >> they're healthy calories. they are better than you generally get. we don't get enough fiber anyway. take advantage of the tip that

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will make sense. >> sticking to the circadian rhythms. 6:30, dinner time. >> 6:30, 5:00. don't delay this. you will make mistakes in the food choices if you let yourself get hungry. >> what surprised me the most is you said that bedtime actually makes a difference. >> hugely important that we go to bed at 10:00 p.m. >> i can't stay up that late. >> you can't, with your schedule. but 10:00 p.m. is when our mel to melon tonen levels are the highest. mel tonen is being released. if the light hits your eyes from a tv or the computer, it will turn off the mel tonen. that kills your brain's natural ability to fall asleep. you will crave carbohydrates. >> you have a follow-up on the show you did about the hcg diet. >> people are finding solution

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where's the sda doesn't think they exist. >> mehmet oz. thanks very much. now, to mellody hobson, with today's quick tip. >> good morning, america. estate planning is an important tool for everyone, not just the rich. so, here are two important steps to ensure your possessions and whether you want them when you're gone. one, create a will. your assets are hard-earned. and you should decide where they go. two, after finalizing your will, talk to your relatives. a conversation now, could prevent hurt feelings later. what should you consider when creating your will? go to abcnews.com/gma and i'll give you my must-know tip. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 absolutely, i mean, these financial services companies tdd# 1-800-345-2550 are still talking about retirement tdd# 1-800-345-2550 like it's some kind of dream. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 it's either this magic number i'm supposed to reach, or... tdd# 1-800-345-2550 it's beach homes or it's starting a vineyard. tdd# 1-800-345-2550 come on ! tdd# 1-800-345-2550 just help me figure it out tdd# 1-800-345-2550 in a practical, let's-make- this-happen kind of way.

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and the first vacation memory that will last till roughly... forever. now, there's a first. tell us what you've always wanted to do, on facebook. [ ship horn blows ] now maryland most powerful dop hr radar and forecast certified most accurate pi weatherate. 8:27. good morning. 40 in baltimore 41 in east op 42 back towards hagerstown and basically we have got sun with a mix of a few clouds up across the northern skies. not too much of a problem. and we expect more of the sun to dominate the sky today. look for a two degree guaranteed high of 65. bull it back into the 40s. tomorrow better. we will kick up the breeze and we will look for a high of 76 degrees. how about the traffic. hope any that's flowing well. >> reporter: it's flowing well this morning justin. we are getting reports of debris in the roadway affect willing northbound lanes of 95 near 195 also reported to be

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debris on 95 near caton avenue. looking at traffic moving dedecently in both direction. northbound heavier and slower because of the debris. an accident reported in upper co route 30 at emery rote road and wise avenue at wise road at lynch avenue and reports of a vehicle fire up in towson. bosley at joppa road. here's carly with the morning news update --charley with the morning news update. if you are a woman looking for a career in law enforcement, the baltimore city police department want to hear you. in want more women in the force especially those that would take pride in serving the community. they are holding anings inial session tomorrow at noon. it's going to be taking place at baltimore city police hq. now the department has 16% women and that's already above the national average. it's 40 degrees outside. time to head back to new york for more of "good morning america" we are back at 9 for

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"good morning maryland" coming up at nine, the question of the day, how much would you spend for a dog? about 1.5 million? see you then.

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[ cheers and applause ] ♪ we are here in new york city. it is st. patrick's day, as you know. and our crowd is really celebrating. >> we are ready for it. y'all going to the parade today? it is a parade. and mardi gras still. >> there is a lot of excitement for the parade here. also this morning, we have liz pryor. she is in the "gma" advice trolley. handing out a lot of free advice. we are putting her to work. >> we are putting her to work.

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there you go, young lady. also, becky worley, you should see this. she went to a supermarket. and she ambushed people. looking inside their grocery cart to see when it comes to nutrition, hits and misses. and we'll have some great suggestions on what you can do in substituting for some of those things. >> that's coming up. first, we turn to prince william. he's gone to new zealand this morning. he's visiting the earthquake zone. and bob woodruff is with him. he's going to have a report. he's in christchurch. >> reporter: good morning. you can see that the streets are still evacuated, except for officials and construction workers. no one else is even allowed to enter downtown, which they now call the red zone. they did give us a chance to see it, as prince william flew in to witness it. and to thank the search and rescue teams who have been working almost nonstop for almost a month. >> what are you doing here? >> reporter: he also privately met with some of the victims who

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survived. >> it's unbelievable. >> reporter: this is his last overseas trip before he gets married next month. and the people here said, his presence have really given them some comfort. >> to help the guys that you have been doing. could have been a lot worse. a big pat on the back. it's been a huge time together. i just want to say well done to you. >> here in christchurch, we've been through a lot of tough things. for him to come and recognize us, especially the front line crews that have been risk for those people, it's great morale for all of the boys here. >> reporter: the earthquakes are not over. in fact, christchurch has been hit by ten, powerful aftershocks. last week alone, more than 4.0 magnitude. traditionally, queen elizabeth would have made this visit. but her grandson is getting more important. he is second in line to the throne. some here hope that his fiancee, kate middleton, would join him.

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but she couldn't make it. tomorrow, the prince will speak in a park here for a national memorial service. a moment of silence. we don't know what exactly he will say. we do expect him to talk about the tragedy that is still sweeping through japan. we will see. >> looking for that. before we go, we want to show you the pictures from "the daily mail." they say that couples that have been together for a long time, start to look alike. look at william and kate, waving. and clapping the same way. they are so in sync. boy. it's almost like they're tied to the same master. it's incredible. experts claim that shows the closeness of their relationship. now, let's go down to sam. he is outside, with "just one thing." >> good morning, george. our "just one thing," is green your seafood. reduce your mercury. i love that music. i miss it. it's green. perfect for st. patrick's day. high levels of mercury, dangerous to adults for heart

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issues. and dangerous, too -- i need to say who i'm talking to. i'm talking to mary ann handu, of the sierra club. it's dangerous to us. and dangerous to mothers. and newborns. >> i'm a new mom. i was watching my mercury levels when i was pregnant. it's danger for increased risk of heart attack and developmental problems for little babies. >> mercury comes from our fish. tell me how to avoid mercury. and low mercury that's okay. >> mercury comes from coal-fired power plants. it gets in the water. it's in the highest level in big predator fish. >> you need to eat less of that. >> eat more of the fish known to have lower levels of mercury, like salmon, trout. these are the ones to look for if you want to watch your mercury levels. >> there's an easy mercury test. we'll give you this on our website on "gma." you can get the information for it. katie morrison is the producer.

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which month? >> 6 1/2 months. >> and nancy is going to trim a little hair. by trimming your hair and sending it away, you can get results on how much mercury is in your body. for a young, expectant mother, it's critical to know, just so you know how the baby is developing. it's one thing that the epa, the new guidelines or projections that they want you to know. i did this test. a quick look at them cutting my hair. and we have the envelope? >> the sierra club and the university will send you your results in the mail. >> how high is my mercury poisen? >> your mercury levels are very high. you're at two-times the level that the epa is safe. >> what can we do? >> the most important thing to do is to stop eating the high-level mercury fish. and eat the low-level mercury fish two times a week. and all of us will be less exposed to mercury. >> it takes three to four months.

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your body will naturally cleanse itself if you eat less of the high-mercury fish. all of this is on our website. go to the "just one thing." and you'll find out if there's mercury poisoning in your body. not so happy about that. let's get to the boards. we're going to wfaa in dallas. why? it's st. patrick's day. but the executive producer sent us some cities and said why not use irish-themed cities when talking about st. patrick's cities. dublin, texas. and who else has good weather. in the northwest, a little sloppy today. heavier rain moves in tonight. l.a. is gorgeous today. so is the deep south. all of that warm air is moving to new york city and boston for thursday into friday. no

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all that weather was brought to you by carnival cruise line. george? >> thank you, sam. coming up, watch out for becky worley.

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emeril always has so much fun with that. time, now, for our supermarket ambush. becky worley and carry glassman, stopping shoppers in their tracks, to look at what's in their grocery carts. their i'm sure it went over well. >> it was an ambush. a real ambush. it's important. 47,000 new food products were introduced in 2010. the supermarket is crazy. it's hard not to get overwhelmed. we did ambush shoppers, trying to help them make healthy choices. ever feel overwhelmed at the grocery store? so many choices.

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you think you're buying healthy. but maybe not. so, i've come to this new jersey supermarket for what we're calling the great grocery cart ambush. my partner in crime, nutritionist, terri glassman, and i, are on the hunt. we're looking here. our goal, find items you can swap to eat healthier. the first victims -- subjects, rose and doug. you know the good, but you do it not. doug has high cholesterol. >> let's block out the lamb for a leaner cut of meat. let's take the cheeses out. >> reporter: scouring the aisles, we found a sandwich staple gone rogue. this peanut putter says natural. we have peanuts loaded with

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sugar. >> reporter: this shopper, we caught red-handed. >> who are these for? >> my older son. >> reporter: terri's solution? >> there's a lot of popcorn that you can buy in a bag like this. you can still have the opening stuff after school. >> reporter: one of the toughest challenges we faced, the search for that perfect kids cereal. >> we have kashii over here. >> reporter: i'm going to buy this box. you are the important man around here. want to test? i'm telling you. it's good. uh-huh. crunchy. >> oh, dear. >> reporter: not a fan. it's the crazy lady chasing him, not the cereal. searching high and low, we saw carts with cups of fruit. great, right? >> sometimes the canned fruit

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has added sugar. let's see if it has sugar in here. >> reporter: i found an item that's a staple in my house, too. waffles. my kids love them. i noticed there are other waffle brands that have more protein. >> more protein and fiber. and are made with whole grains. >> reporter: as you hunt for healthy food, how would your choices stack up? let's find out. in this corner, we have becky worley. in this corner, keri glassman, the author of "the 02 diet." >> i was trying to find cereal. i know how hard keri's job is. >> a lot of people are doing the best they can. and it's easier, the options they're going for. and a little less expensive. this is a way of giving options that are healthier and have a little bit of time. what's the first one? >> these are shoppers we found

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at the amp. our first shopper was jerry, who got the yellow cling peaches in the cup. >> the problem, the peaches are sitting in syrup. the best option is going to be an apple. that's not the most fun for kids. they like things in packages for lunch. we went to the produce aisle and found sliced fruit in individual packages. they have them in individual packages, like that, with no added sugar. if you want a container, we found unsweetened apple sauce. apple sauce will come without sugar. we could not find sliced fruit without artificial sweeteners or sugar. >> children love to have their own containers and things like that. >> exactly. fun at lunch like that. >> peanut butter. staple for people. >> this is from caroline. natural, right? >> caroline thought she was doing a great job. people say natural. pat yourself on the back. natural doesn't guarantee it

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will be the healthiest option. when you look at peanut butter, you want to see peanuts as the top in the ingredient list. we don't need to add oil or sugar. >> it's surprising to see how much sugar was in it. you are fooled when it says natural. >> it does. you want to read the ingredient list. >> staple at my house. toaster waffles. >> options? >> toaster waffles are so convenient. but you want to look for whole wheat toaster waffles. those just say wheat. you need to look for whole. you're going to get two more grams of fiber and two more grams of protein. an easy swap to make. >> kathy's son loves the cheese puffs. >> and he likes to play with the bag when he gets home from school. you want to look for air-popped popcorn. making air-popped popcorn at home will be the best option. but if you want convenience, look for air-popped on the bag.

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>> bagels, they're healthy for you. but -- >> this shopper knew she was making a better choice going for the bagels that are thinner. they're only 100 calories. she's doing portion control. and she knew they weren't whole wheat. but she likes to put them in the toaster instead of chips and add hummus or peanut butter. great idea. we're going to have more of this online. all aboard. the "gma" guru express, when we come back.ñpñq=ñ

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all of you chose liz pryor to be our "gma" advice guru, putting her at the top of the list of 15,000 applicants. she's been hard at work, dishing out advice here and online. and today, she rolls out a new feature, the "gma" advice guru trolley.y, she rolls out a new >> this question comes in from claire in san francisco,

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california. sally in maine. >> should i tell him that sending us the same flowers makes me feel a little less special? >> i'm thinking you should tell him it bothers you a little bit. >> draw a line in the sand. let me know how it goes. >> thanks for coming in. we'll be taking a lot more questions. >> being the new "gma" advice guru has been an amazing experience so far. skyping. hundreds of you have written me. thank you so much. but today, we're going to take a different kind of a ride. ♪ we're here at the americana grand shopping center in glendale, california, turning their trolley into the "gma" advice guru trolley. >> how are you? >> nice to meet you. if you were the initiator of this, which we were talking differently.

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if she's the initiator, unequivocally you want to do it. you don't want to be in a relationship with someone, i promise you this, even eventually, 40 years from now. you know what? maybe i should have stayed single. you want her to be choosing her on her own free will. you know? you know what i mean? >> yeah. >> so, good. and good luck to her. i don't know how long you're going to stay single. >> my sister's now getting back on her feet. and i feel like she's ours. >> of course, you do. how long have you had her? >> we've had her for a year and a half. >> if your sister maintains, she wants to have some sort of relationship with her. whether she has her or doesn't have her. maybe you can deal with this emotion now. i think it's never a bad thing to keep telling yourself, and keep putting out there what you want. and what you think is best for her and for you guys.

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here's what i'm thinking about spending. you are old enough, all of you, to seriously just say no to yourself. if you're going to go here, and you want to spend some money, give yourselves a limit before you come. give yourselves a budget and stay within it. and you'll feel better about yourself. >> $5,000 limit. okay. >> no. that's the one. good luck. stop spending, man. >> going with a bunch of friends, maybe? >> this is what i love. that's what's natural. if you have a boyfriend or your boyfriend has a girlfriend. and you all meet up. and one parent drops off and another parent picks up. that's what i think 11-year-old and 12-year-old dating is. pretty innocent. it's kind of like a play date with a guy, right? >> yeah. >> look at them. get them. are you kidding me?

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you guys, we just took one thing around in the trolley. stop shopping. go to the library. go to the beach. go to the zoo. my goodness. unreal. you know, at the end of all of it, i think a lot of people, not everybody, sort of knows what they really want to hear and what they should do. they just need a little push. except for maybe the 11-year-old girls. they really wanted to know. >> so, if you need a push, if you need advice about anything at all, go to [ male announcer ] verizon believes that no small business should be invisible,

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so we decided to help a real small business make it easier for customers to find them. my name is elizabeth heinz, we're at isabella's boutique in rockville center, new york. do me a favor, and search for your business. alright. ♪ what did you find? nothing. i mean, if you don't have a website, you're basically invisible. [ male announcer ] 40% of small businesses don't have a website. but with verizon websites powered by intuit, it's so easy you can do it yourself, and so powerful it can make any small business more visible. add photos... and then, we'll hit "publish." i have a website?! you have a website. oh my gosh, i can't believe it was that easy. [ male announcer ] verizon can put your small business on over 100 search sites so customers can find you, with a personalized business e-mail address that connects with your site. visit me at isabellasny.com. [ male announcer ] small business owners, don't be invisible. call today and get a 6 month free trial of verizon websites powered by intuit, when you sign up for verizon's reliable high-speed internet & phone for business, just $84.99 a month with no term contract required. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities verizon. the hardest working network in business. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. a lot of families, which is fantastic, and we'll have them over on friday nights for dinner.

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so when i shop, i do buy a lot of things at once. it helps me to save money. now at giant, you can save more every time you shop. take advantage of thousands of weekly specials, real deals, 10-for-10s, and more. and watch the savings rack up. we get to visit with our friends. the kids get to visit with their friends, and we're doing it so low budget. that works for me. more savings every time you shop with your giant card.

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what were we saying about

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denise being here? she is responsible. have you ever seen better-looking people in your life? this is our crew. it's like a box of crayons in here. every shade of green. >> bring out the green beer. >> i think emerald beer is a real statement. >> we have it all covered. thank you for watching us on abc news. you can follow us on facebook and twitter. and more later with diane sawyer. >> good-bye, everybody. maryland most poirful

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doppler radar and forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. we will look at temperatures right now. we are trying to worm on this st. patrick's morning. 47 easton. 48 owings mills. and 46s ijamsville and ellicott city and edgewater. official number at top of the hour. 40s. we are going in the upper direction. sunshine will do that. a mix of clouds towards the west and north. but we will call it a mostly sunny to partly cloudy day. two degree guaranteed high of 65. running about 10 degrees above normal. we will have a warmer day tomorrow and then a dramatic cooldown next week. there's even some rumblings about some winter weather coming back in behind our next storm many we will talk about that on good morning maryland at nine. now the final check of trafficwith kim. >> reporter: it's ending on an up note around beltway. you will fine the occasional pap of moderate to heavy volume look live at 695 at providence

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road. a nice steady pace across the inner loop towards 95. a little heavier on the outer loop side heading up towardsyork road exit. we have a serious accident upper co route 30 is closed in both directions between old hanover road and route 91 with a medivac rescue in progress. now southbound route 30 traffic is detoured onto dover and onto hanover road and that puts you on southbound route 30. also dealing with an accident in pikesville, millford mill at woodside and police are on the scene of a crash in dundalk wise avenue at lynch road. no major problems along the 95 corridor. traffic is moving well two andfrom the tunnels and no issues on the jfx." good morning maryland "i is coming back starting at nine.